Frank Li `27

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The Strake Jesuit staff are not just teachers, coaches, and deans, however omnipresent such roles might seem throughout our time here. In fact, the employees here provide other kinds of vital support. A case in point is campus security. Mr. Herbert Martinez, Jr. handles such duties from his office tucked into a corner of Loyola Hall. 

Managing security may seem like an arduous task, in light of what we might see in real life and through mass media, but at a school like Strake Jesuit, it is facilitated by students. 

“They make it easier for me to carry out my daily tasks by being great stewards and responsible young adults,” Mr. Martinez said about day-to-day operations. 

Security is also vital for programs like Open House and Homecoming, events which Mr. Martinez credits to his team and planning “for making success come together.” 

Before joining Strake Jesuit, Mr. Martinez worked as a Sergeant for Harris County Constable Precinct 5 and as a member of the Emergency Management Operations Center for Harris County. Following his roles in those two organizations, he was employed at the hub of strategic planning for Harris County. 

“I cannot really say anything too detailed about my experiences, but they were full of surprises caused by both Mother Nature and man,” Mr. Martinez said about his service. 

He could, however, comment on the highest profile event he ever worked on, involving a visit from the President of the United States, in February 2021. 

“I was involved in being part of a team which welcomed the sitting president and was part of a presentation in which the region was being presented with funds for the devastation left behind from extreme flooding,” Mr. Martinez recalled, noting how he “was also able to present a divisional task force challenge coin and receive a ‘presidential’ challenge coin in a handshake exchange with the President.” 

While you might not see Mr. Martinez every day at Strake Jesuit, his work is critical to the successful operation of the school, and he is a fascinating individual.